50cl aluminum can acquired at a Picadilly supermarket in Sofia, Bulgaria, and served into a Staropramen pilsner glass in me friend's gaff in Sofia. Reviewed live. Expectations are abbove average. 6.5% ABV.

Served cold. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

This is a pleasant aroma of above average strength which suggests a balanced and enjoyable bock.

TASTE/TEXTURE: Brown malts, amber malts, faint cream, brown bread, a hint of nuttiness, and mild sweetness. Fairly balanced. Average duration, depth, and intensity of flavour. Not real complex for a bock, but not simple per se either. Decently built. It has cohesion. I do like it, but it's a biteen too bitter.

No yeast character, hop character, alcohol, or off notes are detectable.

OVERALL: Definitely drinkable. It's a nice brew for what it is, and the price point is fantastic. I quite like it, and would definitely get it again if I lived in Sofia. Worth trying in town. Not bad for a bock, but certainly on the low side of average.

Low C

***Revisited this a week and a half later.

Decent looking bock with a nice nutty aroma and a matching flavour profile. Very drinkable, and preferable to some German bocks I've had.

I'd get it again if I was craving a darker beer in Bulgaria. Might be interesting on draught.

Had this one recently in Bulgaria. It's a quite decent bock, it has a nice appearance and enjoyable smell and taste. Pours two fingers head with good retention. Somewhat higher percentage of alcohol is well hidden. Definitely the best beer that Zagorka Brewery can offer. (271 characters)

Тhis beer is bottled and on-tap. On-tap is very different and much better than bottled. The best dark beer in Bulgaria. The foam is thick and durable, the taste is full and rich. Finish with caramel and coffee. I recommend to consume bulgarian yellow cheese. (259 characters)

Dark amber, clear, modest head but adequately carbonated. Curious sourish twinge is noticeable at first sip. Some roasted malts but not overly rich. Hops in the background. Bitterness from slight burnt malt flavor. The sour hint makes me wonder if the keg is turning bad, but there is no skunky sweetness-- so maybe it's just a burnt malt artifact.

Still, a beer with some malt flavor among the usual bland lagers in this part of the world. (477 characters)

A: The beer is a near black color with some red notes coming through when held to light. Head is one and a hlaf fingers, ligt tan, and frothy with good retention.

S: Chocolate and carmel malts coming through with a lightkly roasted, almost smoky character. Creamy smell with a hint of dark fruit.

T: Roasted with a lightly bitter chocolate taste in the middle. Finishes very malty with characteristics of a pumpernickel or other rich bread. Few hops to be found here except from a light fleeting note in the ened - just a big thick malt monster (by BG standards). There is a touch of molasses in the middle somewhere. Smooth full bodied beer.

Overall: Still one of te best beers in Bulgaria, and might be the best coming from a big company here. Better on tap than in the bottle, but a bit harder to find these taps, especially during the warmer months. (924 characters)

Brought back from Sofia, Bulgaria by my flatmate, the name of the brand "Stolichno" means "of the Capital" or "Capital's"; coming in a 500ml slim brown bottle, BB 30/06/2010, served chilled in a straight pint glass.

A: pours a very dark brown colour with some mahogany glows when seen against light; the carbonation remains moderate and the thick dark beige froth retains decently.S: a lightly sour edge of dough as well as black prunes pairs well with the toasted malts' nutty & caramely sweetness, backed by a touch of roast/dark malts or burned toast in the background. Pretty "settled" is the overall aroma, pleasant but not quite as complex or pronounced as a German dark bockbier.T: the foretaste is indeed like a dark bockbier, albeit slightly reversed in taste - featuring a good input of tasty toasted malts, the bitter-sweetness of burned bread, rather light flavour of dark fruits & nuts (prunes, walnuts, plus some oriental black sugar), while grassy hints of hops reveal at the tail of the swallow; then, a slightly dry and increasingly bitter palate as of hops and roast malts ensues, leading towards a clean, slightly herbal finish that never goes thin or cloying - a strong point in terms of overall performance/drinkability.M&D: the fizz level is pretty good, not spritzy but only lightly carbonated, while the palate remains relatively clean, free from excessive influence of sweet malts, syrup or fruitiness. The end result is a medium-full bodied, balanced, elegant, slightly attenuated yet definitely likeable and even thirst-quenching dark lager~~ Lots of "blagodaria" go to my flatmate Lub! (1,617 characters)